


A Way Out

by Humanitys_Saltiest



Series: Beacon [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Eventual Smut, Foster Care, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Masturbation, Prostitution, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-03-08 17:24:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13462974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humanitys_Saltiest/pseuds/Humanitys_Saltiest
Summary: Levi spent the first 24 years of his life growing up on the streets doing whatever he could for money, but what happens when he is saved from an unpleasant situation by a tall police officer with the most gorgeous blue eyes that he has ever seen?Previously called 'A Light in the Darkness'





	1. Found

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! I have complete revamped my account and I now that I have had more practice with writing, I'm going to start writing fics again. This is going to be my first real one, hope y'all like it.

The thud of boots on concrete was a familiar sensation for Levi, thanks to how long he had been on the run for. He had been on his own since he was four years old, after his mother had died from a nasty bout of pneumonia just two days before Christmas and Levi's birthday. Apparently living in constant filth during cold weather causes peoples lungs to go bad.

The young boy stayed in the same room with his mother's body for days until the hotel manager had the police break the door down to get inside. After fighting with Levi to take his mother's body away, the police took him to the station to check his file for any next of kin. After finding he had none, foster care came for him and took him in.

Levi ended up running away just a few days after he was taken in, although he was quickly found and brought back. But Levi kept running away, a total of seven times during his fourteen years in the system. Each house he was sent to was worse than the last, some leaving permanent marks on his small body. As soon as he turned eighteen, he walked away from the social services buildings for the last time, never returning.  
  
It would be the understatement of the century to say that Levi hated everyone, he _despised_ everyone. He had seen the way people would treat the unfortunate, walking by people begging for food on the streets as if they weren't even there. People always claimed to care about ending human suffering and helping those in need, and yet nobody ever did anything. Anyone seen living on the streets was treated like garbage.  
  
Levi had frequently seen the state his mother was left in after working with a client, just to have enough money to put food on the table for them. Although he was too young to really understand things at the time, but now that he was older he would think back to those days, seeing his mother bruised and battered. It disgusted him. Humanity disgusted him. As someone who had spent most of his life always seeing the worst in people, that was what he always expected from anyone person he encountered.  
  
Due to his lack of a steady income, he would steal valuables to be able to afford some bread from the nearby convenience store, or sometimes he would steal food from stores. By the time he was twelve he had been arrested eight times for theft, but each time the police let him go and sent him back to foster care, where he would soon run away.  
  
Levi had gotten tired of the constant cycle of getting picked up by the cops, taken back to foster care, running away, only to get caught for stealing and sent back. He ended up resorting to selling his body for money, as he had found that there wasn’t a lack of creepy older men who were looking to use young boys for their own pleasure. His first time was with a stranger in a disgusting hotel room just a few days after his fourteenth birthday, but at least afterwards he was able to afford a hot meal.

Now he was twenty four years old, although didn’t look like it at all. He was just over 5’3”, skinny and pale from years of malnutrition. However, him looking over five years younger than he really was made him a popular hire for the perverted regulars in this area. Usually, he only had to take a client about once a week to have enough money for food, maybe even a cheap hotel room or else he would find an isolated alley to huddle up in for the night.

Although sometimes a client would want to visit him more frequently than his once a week schedule, such as the situation he was in now. Levi had always been good with words, they were almost as good of a weapon as using a knife, but not quite. Usually, he would be able to talk or fight his way out of a situation effortlessly, but he could see the shape of a switchblade in the man's pocket.

Despite his instincts telling him to fight, Levi knew that the best course of action was to keep walking down the street and pretend he hadn't seen the older man. If he needed to he would fight, but he was unarmed so that tipped the odds significantly out of his favour. Levi had let his thoughts get distracted for a moment, taking the wrong turn down an alley next to a bar. Only once he turned into the alley did he realize that it was a dead end. Dammit.

"There you are sweetheart, for a second I thought you were running off on me."

Levi turned around at the sound of the voice, seeing the man standing there with the switchblade open and pointing at Levi. The raven haired male crossed his arms, a scowl on his face as he casually leaned back against the wall. "I already told you, I'm not working today. Go find someone else."

The creep sneered at Levi's rejection, taking a few steps closer to the point where Levi could smell the sickening stench of alcohol on his breath. The dark haired male felt his own nose wrinkle with disgust, turning his head away from him. However, the man took that as an invitation to touch him, knife pressed to the soft part of Levi's pale neck while the other hand slid under his worn shirt. Before Levi had the chance to fight back, a deep and authoritative voice rang clear from the entrance of the alley.

“What's going on here?”

The sudden voice had been enough to make the creep jerk away from Levi as if he had been burned by the younger man, quickly dropping the switchblade onto the dirty concrete as if pretending he had never been holding it. The light sting on Levi’s neck told him that the creep must have nicked him when he jumped away so suddenly, he would have to make sure he disinfected it when he got out of this. Despite his low income, there was nothing that he held at a higher value than cleanliness, not even food.

The short male could feel his gaze move involuntarily, eyes trying to seek out the owner of that voice. Unsurprisingly, the creep immediately began running his mouth off to try and make out as if he wasn’t just trying to threaten someone into having sex.

"Oh thank god for your arrival sir, this brat tried to steal my wallet and I chased him into this alley to apprehend him. Hopefully you can deal with this delinquent, sir." It wasn't a shock to Levi that he was being thrown under the bus for this, giving a glare at the man before seeing the owner of the voice, the sight of him hit Levi like a punch in the gut.

This man was gorgeous. Tall with blond hair that shone like cornsilk in the sunlight, and eyes so blue they put a clear sky on a summer's day to shame. The bulky vest he wore on top of his navy blue uniform had 'POLICE' in bold white letters, confirming the owner of the voice was a cop.

The police officer was silent, clearly surveying the situation as his gaze flicked from the man, to Levi, the knife on the ground, then back to Levi.

Once the shock had warn off, Levi became aware of how bad this might look, and kept himself still, gaze moving to the ground in an attempt to show he wasn't actually the threat but the one being threatened in this situation. After what felt like hours of silence, the cop started to step towards the two of them, eyeing the two men skeptically. It was clear he hadn’t been fooled by the man’s story, face set in a stern expression.

“I see. If you step away from the young man I will check for your wallet, sir. Then perhaps we can settle this issue.” The older man gaped in disbelief, opening his mouth to argue but the look on the police officer’s face showed that he clearly was not going to take any more shit.

As the man stepped away, the cop cautiously stepped closer to Levi, using a soft voice to tell him to keep still so he could pat him down. The police officer was surprisingly gentle, as if he could feel the anxiety rolling off Levi and was trying to comfort him as he checked through his pockets and patted him down, stepping away when he was finished before turning back to the man.

“There must have been some kind of mistake, this young man does not have your wallet, perhaps you left it at home or had misplaced it somewhere earlier today?” Levi shifted his gaze between the two other men, anxious for what this scenario could result in. At least the cop wasn’t immediately taking the other’s side in this, in all his experiences with the police, the officer would always take a look at his dirty clothes and long hair and would toss him aside, so this was a pleasant surprise for him. The creep had begun to protest the police officer’s conclusion, cut off by the sudden sharp tone of voice accompanied by piercing blue eyes.

“This young man is clearly not guilty of any crime, although I'm not sure I can say the same for you. Now, I believe it would be best for _you_ to leave, sir, or else I may have to charge you with assault and public drunkenness. Have a nice day.” Levi watched in a combination of shock and awe as the man quickly turned and hurried out of the alley. The short male stared, dazed for a moment before looking up at the cop, who had turned and offered Levi a hand and a gentle smile.

“Sorry about that, how about we take you to the hospital to get that cut of yours looked at, then my partner and I can drive you home. Does that sound alright to you?” All that Levi could do was nod faintly and take the offered hand, trying to ignore how warm  ~~and large~~  it was as it surrounded his own hand. The cop started to slowly lead him out of the alley to the police car parked on the curb. In the driver’s seat was a man with blond hair and a scruffy beard, who got out and opened the door to the back for Levi.

“This is my partner, Mike. Unfortunately the only spot for you is in the back seat, sorry it's not very comfortable.” The first cop gave him a light pat on the back before stepping back to let Levi climb into the backseat, closing the door after him. Once the two cops were in the car they began to drive off, talking to each other about work. Levi was still in a state of disbelief, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared out the window, unsure if he really could trust these men.

Eventually, they arrived at the hospital, where the first police officer got out and opened Levi’s door. The other, Mike, stayed in the car, watching them closely, which was more than a little unnerving to Levi.

“I’ll take you inside now, we can make sure you get taken care of quickly so you can be on your way.” The officer started to lead him towards the entrance, stopping suddenly once they were inside before turning to face Levi with a embarrassed look on his face.

“Sorry, I realized I haven’t introduced myself. My name’s Erwin. Erwin Smith. What’s yours?” Erwin spoke softly, voice calm and low in contrast to the bustling chaos of the hospital staff around them. It was the start of winter, so there were a lot more people coming in for injuries from car crashes and illnesses brought on by the cold weather.

“It’s Levi.” The short male mumbled, almost worried the blond hadn’t heard him before he saw the other’s radiant smile followed by a light pat on the back. Strangely enough, Erwin hadn’t seemed taken aback by his lack of a last name.

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Levi. Let’s get you all fixed up, hmm?” Erwin had continued to speak in the low, calm tone he’d used before, which immediately made Levi think of how people used to speak to him when he was a kid. Irritation flashed in his chest as he lifted his head to glare at the taller man.

“I’m not a kid, I’m twenty four. Don’t pretend to care about me, I'm sick of that bullshit.” Erwin’s eyes widened slightly, shocked by the other’s sharp response. After a moment of tense silence, smiled again as he walked with the short man to the desk.

“Alright then, sorry for offending you, Levi. I can assure you I am not pretending, your well-being is important.” Erwin looked away from him as he spoke to the man at the desk, explaining that Levi needed to get his injury looked at and taken care of immediately.

Just before Levi was led away by the nurse to see the doctor, Erwin gently grabbed his wrist to stop him and put a piece of paper in his hand. On the paper was Erwin’s name followed by ten digits, a phone number, _Erwin’s_ phone number.

“Give me a call when they’re all done with you, I would like to give you a ride home, and get to know you a little more, Levi.” And with that the tall blond turned and walked away, leaving Levi speechless as he was taken to see one of the doctors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Erwin's POV


	2. Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and left kudos on this work! It really is encouraging me to continue working on this!  
> So once again I have been unable to wait just a little bit between posting each chapter so here is chapter three!  
> Enjoy!

Erwin found himself walking back to the police car with more of a bounce in his step, climbing into the passenger seat with a sigh and a faint smile. He was in a particularly good mood, for absolutely no reason at all, ~~certainly not because of his new friend~~. Mike was quick to catch on to his sudden change in mood, looking over at him with a smirk. 

"Something's got you really happy man, don't tell me it was that grubby kid who did that?" He said with a chuckle, starting the car again before beginning to drive out of the hospital parking lot.

"Levi's not grubby, and for your information, he is hardly a kid considering he's only two years younger than both of us." Erwin said with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at Mike with an unimpressed expression. The fact that Erwin was quick to jump to Levi's defense had confirmed what Mike said, causing the man driving to laugh with a shake of his head.

"I knew it. You have the biggest heart in the entire force, Erwin. I just didn't think your hobbies would evolve from rescuing abandoned kittens off the streets to taking in young men off the streets. Although he’s so small he might as well be kitten compared to you huh?" Mike continued to poke fun at him, which made Erwin cover his face out of embarrassment, peeking between his fingers to glare at his friend. Even if they had known each other for eight years, Erwin still found himself frequently wanting to grab him by the shoulders and shake that smugness out of him.

"What do I have to do to get you to stop talking about Levi and change the subject?" Erwin almost pleaded, feeling the rumble of the car engine beneath his feet as they drove back to the station. 

"Free coffee and lunch for the next three days."

“...Deal.”

\---

Erwin always had been a lover of authority from a young age, finding a position of leadership in almost every situation. In kindergarten, he was affectionately referred to as the 'playground commander' by his teachers.

Manners were one of the first things he was taught, saying please and thank you, always complimenting pretty ladies, speaking only when spoken to, these were the type of lessons that Erwin had been told to value the most by his father. Discipline was his father's most valued trait, and he was constantly lectured on appropriate etiquette for a young gentleman. 

Erwin's father was a good man, a firm believer in the truth over anything else. He was a political science professor at the university in his home city, and had written many books on politics. 

His mother was one of the sweetest women a person could ever meet, and an amazing cook as well. Although, Erwin's family was a bit old-fashioned, so his mother was expected to do housework while his father went off to work. As the man had gotten older and more exposed to the real world, it had become harder to speak to his parents, but he still saw them on Christmas and his birthday.

Ever since Erwin was young, he always loved the idea of being a teacher, and that wasn't just because the teacher was the only person who could get students in trouble. His dream continued as he got older, but when he told his father about his wishes to take history at the university and then go to teacher's college, his father immediately shut down his idea because apparently they wouldn’t be able to afford the tuition for both.  So, instead he got into the police academy, where he had met Mike and ended up graduating at the top of his class alongside his best friend.

Luckily, Erwin loved his job. He always loved helping those in need and dealing firm justice to those who committed crimes. He had always been a charitable person, so when he saw the young male who looked like skin and bones with dirty clothes, he knew he had to do whatever he could to help this man. 

Soon the two police officers had arrived at the station, parking in their designated spot and walking side by side into the building. They greeted their coworkers as they walked down the halls and parted ways to their own work spaces. Erwin fell into his chair with a long exhausted sigh, rubbing his hand over his face. Luckily he just had some paperwork to finish up, then he would be done. This would be one of the only days in the past few months he didn’t end up working overtime, he was ~~more than~~ a little bit of a workaholic. He didn’t have a family or a romantic partner, so his main focus was his work.

As Erwin filled out the different reports he found that he couldn’t keep his mind off the young man he had met earlier that day. Levi. He liked the way that his name rolled off his tongue, and he found his height pretty adorable, although he had a feeling that if he ever told Levi that he would end up being put in the hospital. Despite his height, Erwin still knew better than to underestimate Levi’s strength. 

Erwin’s trail of thought abruptly ended when he had realized that he had been staring at his computer screen for several minutes. He blinked rapidly and shook his head as he mumbled a 'get a hold of yourself' under his breath, trying to focus his attention on his work.  He was almost done this report and he was actually excited for getting off work, hoping that Levi would call him. He seemed rather skittish, so Erwin was hoping that he could be deemed trustworthy by Levi.

As the clock began to mark the first hour had passed, he began to find himself casting nervous glances towards his phone where it rested on the desk beside his computer, as if staring at it would will Levi’s phone call to come quicker. Erwin nervously tapped his foot on the floor as he turned back to his work, finishing up one report and moving on to the next. 

By the time the clock began to reach the second hour, he had begun to lose hope. He must not have made Levi feel comfortable enough around him to trust him. Letting out a soft sigh, Erwin closed his work and shut down his computer, getting up to get his things together.  It was more than a little disappointing that Levi didn’t call him, but he tried his best not to get to upset about it as he slowly made his way to the exit and walking through the parking lot to his car. He put his bag in the backseat before climbing into the driver's seat and running his hand over his face with another sigh. Okay, maybe he was  ~~pretty~~  upset about it, enough to want to mope over a tub of ice cream when he got home.

As he started the car, he was startled by a sudden ringing noise, his familiar ringtone. Erwin was quick to reach back and grab his bag, rooting through all the pockets until he found it, quickly swiping the answer button and holding it to his ear.

“Hello! This is Erwin speaking.” He said maybe a little too enthusiastically, waiting with bated breath as his ears strained for a response. After a few seconds of silence, he felt his heart sink, repeating a soft ‘hello’ before he heard some shifting noise, followed by a quiet voice.

“Hey...it’s Levi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay from now on I am going to try my best to space out each chapter and slowly make a more consistent schedule. Next chapter will be out on Saturday!  
> Tune in next time for Levi learning to accept people helping and caring about him.
> 
> Once again comments, criticisms, and questions are always appreciated


	3. Invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here I am, a day early, with chapter 4.  
> Thank you so much to all the wonderful comments and kudos!

It had been a frustratingly long amount of time at the hospital for Levi, although part of that could be considered his own fault as it took the nurse a while to convince Levi to let the doctor come close enough to treat him.

When he was asked, the dark haired male hesitantly told them about his work and the doctor immediately requested that he get tested for every type of sexually transmitted infection that existed, much to Levi’s annoyance. But he agreed, after all it had been a while since he had last been tested. He decided to get them all done there at once, luckily he didn’t have to get referred to another clinic and was able to get everything dealt with in one go. However his results would take a week or so to be processed.

When asked for a contact number, Levi gave them Erwin’s number without thinking it through. Well that would be difficult to explain to him, he decided to worry about that when the problem arrived.

Getting the cut on his neck dealt with took longer than he had expected, while it didn’t need stitches they still had to disinfect it and cover it up, giving him a tetanus shot as well just to be extra careful. Once the cut was dealt with they gave him a small paper bag of medical supplies for changing the bandage each day for the next two days.

By the time it was almost done, it was close to two hours after he had been dropped off by Erwin. He must be wondering what was taking Levi so long, maybe even getting worried about him. It was weird how friendly he was, although what was more weird was that Levi actually felt that he could trust him. It had been a long time since Levi felt he could trust anyone, not since his childhood friends from the orphanage.

His first instinct was to just leave and walk back to his side of the city, but he really didn’t want to disappoint Erwin. It was a foreign feeling that Levi didn’t like, it was a little overwhelming and annoying, why was he so hung up on the thought of disappointing _him_?

Luckily the man at the desk had let him use the phone at the front desk, as he didn’t have any change for the pay phone. He was thankful, however it did annoy Levi how the man kept smiling at him and calling him kid, but he had gotten used to people thinking he was a kid so he ignored each comment with a small scowl on his face.

The dark haired male picked up the phone, making sure to hold it near his ear but not actually touching his ear because phones were filthy, especially public phones. Just thinking about all the people who might have pressed their greasy ears to the device made him shudder and get a little queasy. His other hand was firmly holding the piece of paper that the tall man had given him when he dropped him off at the hospital just a couple hours ago.

_I shouldn’t call him. I should just leave and go back to my own life, trusting cops never ends well._

Levi grit his teeth, feeling anxiety bubble up in his chest as he glared at the neat handwriting on the slip of paper. He slowly pushed the buttons on the phone, taking in a shaky breath. It confused him as to why he was nervous, he was just going to get a ride back to his side of town, nothing complicated.

As the phone dialed the number, he quickly began to doubt this decision, his anxious thoughts returning. What if he was taken into the police station by Erwin? What if Erwin was one of those cops who frequently hired prostitutes and what just trying to use him for---the sound of the other line picking up snapped Levi from his thoughts, holding the phone by his ear as the other's deep voice rang clear.

"Hello! This is Erwin speaking." Levi felt his breath catch in his throat at the other's voice, all his thoughts of leaving melted away as soon as he heard him speak. He sounded so happy and eager, surely not because of him. Levi realized that he must have zoned out for a few seconds because Erwin was repeating a soft 'hello?' into the phone, making him respond quickly before letting the other think it was a wrong number calling.

"Hey... it's Levi." The short man waited for the other's response, anxiously chewing at his lower lip as his foot tapped on the linoleum floor.

"Levi...I'm glad you called me. I take it you are finished at the hospital, shall I come pick you up?" Levi could almost see the smile in Erwin's voice, setting the paper down to instead begin to fiddle with the cord connecting the phone base and the headset.

"Yeah... I'm all done here... I'll take you up on that ride offer if you have an empty spot in your schedule." Levi almost slapped himself, realized only after he said it that he definitely could have phrased that much better, certainly less suggestively. Thankfully, Erwin didn't seem to notice. Either that, or he didn't comment on it.

"It's alright, I just got off work. If you wait outside the front entrance, I'll swing by to pick you up, I should be there in about ten minutes." Levi hummed in agreement, eyes closing. He could listen to that man's voice all day, it ran through his mind like a balm, soothing his troubled thoughts.

"Alright, don't be stupid and crash your car because you're talking on the phone while driving like a moron." That drew a chuckle from Erwin, grin evident in his voice.

"I won't, see you soon Levi." And with that, Erwin hung up. After a few moments Levi set the phone back down on its receiver, letting out a long breath. He grabbed his things and wordlessly turned away and walked to the doors.

Every time Erwin said his name he felt his chest get tight with an emotion that  ~~scared him~~ he couldn’t recognize and didn't want to name.

It was a chilly day, causing Levi to involuntarily cross his arms tight over himself and shudder out a breath. He passed the time by watching the fog from each exhale dissipate into the cold air, stopping when a car pulled up in front of him and a tall man with blond hair stepped out.

As soon as Erwin laid eyes on him, a wide grin spread across his face, making Levi’s stomach squirm in a way that the dark haired male brushed off as him just being hungry. The tall man approached him, still wearing his uniform although, not any of the gear from earlier that day. Now Levi could see the shape of his body much better, he was in quite good shape and if the shirt were a little tighter he would be able to see the outline of Erwin’s prominent muscles. Just thinking about it made him--

A firm hand on his shoulder pulled Levi from his thoughts, gaze snapping up to Erwin’s face as he looked up at him. The tall man’s eyes seemed impossibly blue, and suddenly Levi was aware of how warm his skin was getting where Erwin was touching him, taking a small step away from him. Clearly, the blond took the hint and pulled his hand away, looking him over carefully.

“Are you alright, Levi? You were in there for quite a while. Did your injury get sorted out?” Levi nodded, stepping around him and towards the car.

“I’m fine, they just wanted to run some extra tests on me since I haven’t been to the hospital for a while.” Levi spoke quickly, reaching to open the passenger door but suddenly Erwin was directly behind him, reaching over him to open it for him. The blond seemed to radiate warmth, although Levi blamed that on the cold air around him making everything else seem much warmer than it really was. Once the door was opened Levi ducked inside, not looking at Erwin as the door was closed for him and instead focusing on putting his seat belt on.

Erwin climbed into the driver’s seat, putting on his seat belt and looked over at Levi to made sure he had done the same. He noticed Levi’s bare arms, realizing that he must be quite cold so he reached over and turned the heat on maximum before returning his focus to Levi.

“I’ll take you home now if that’s alright with you, what is your address?” Levi tensed up, staring down at his hands. He knew this conversation was inevitable, but he was hoping that it wouldn’t have come so soon. Apparently he had been silent for too long, so Erwin had put his car’s hazard lights on and leaned closer to him.

“Levi...do you have a home?” The question had caught the dark haired man off guard, he truly had not expected Erwin to guess that so soon. Was it really that obvious? As soon as Levi turned his head and made eye contact with Erwin, he saw the other’s firm blue gaze soften, a sad smile gracing his lips.

“I’ll take that as a no then.” Erwin spoke softly as he watched Levi shift in discomfort, reaching over to gently pat his knee as the short man looked away.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Levi. I’m not going to send you away because you’re in a difficult situation, quite the opposite really.”  After a few more seconds of silence Erwin let out a sigh, giving his knee a gentle-yet firm- squeeze.

“Levi, look at me.” The soft command got a hesitant response as Levi slowly turned his head to look at Erwin, who gave him another gentle smile, eyes glimmering with...hope?

“Come live with me, Levi.” The dark haired male immediately shook his head and opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced by a ~~warm~~  finger pressing against his lips.

“I have a spare room that you can take. You can stay as long as you want, at least until the cold season is over. You don’t have to pay me or return the favour in any way. Just let me help you, please.” Levi was speechless, silver eyes wide as he stared at Erwin and waited for the other to laugh and tell him it was just a joke, but he never did, he just stared at Levi with his blue eyes silently pleading him to agree. 

Levi glanced outside, seeing the ground already covered in a fine layer of snow. He thought of his mother, how frail her body became as she had tried to fight off her sickness on top of the cold weather freezing her to the bone.

Levi leaned back away from the finger pressed against his lips, silver meeting blue as he looked at Erwin. The dark haired male shuddered out a sigh, shoulders slumping as his resolve crumbled and he slowly nodded.

Seeing the wide grin on Erwin’s face when he accepted his offer had told him that he had made the right choice.

Levi just hoped he wouldn’t end up regretting it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up in chapter 5: Levi realizes why living with Erwin might end up being a problem
> 
> Have a prediction for what's going to happen? Comment below!


	4. Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Paper_birds for their lovely comments!
> 
> Enjoy!

Erwin started driving to his apartment with Levi, deciding to stop at the Starbucks on the way. As he pulled into the drive-through lineup, he noticed the confused look that Levi was giving him, looking over at him with a reassuring smile.

“I thought I would get myself a coffee, would you like anything?” Levi shook his head, holding his hands in front of the fans blowing hot air.

“I’m not a coffee drinker.” The dark haired man spoke quickly, gnawing on his lower lip. Erwin thought for a moment, noticing how Levi had only specifically said he didn't want a coffee, his smile growing.

“What about tea? They have some nice black teas if you’d like?” Erwin noticed the slight twitch of interest on Levi’s face, chuckling softly as the other slowly nodded. He ordered their drinks, getting a simple (extra strong) latte for himself. After paying for their drinks, he handed Levi the large to-go cup of tea, watching him wrap his small hands around it for warmth. Erwin started driving again, setting his coffee cup in the holder between the two of them.

They didn’t speak much on the ride to Erwin’s apartment, listening to the music playing over the radio. The blond glanced over at Levi as he tried the tea, noticing the satisfied expression on the short male’s face. Now he knew that Levi was a tea person, he would have to make sure to remember that for future reference.

When they arrived at the apartment and he parked in his spot, he turned off the car as he unbuckled his seat belt, hearing Levi do the same. Once they were both out of the car and had all their things, Erwin locked the vehicle before leading Levi to the lobby entrance.

“What did the doctor say about that cut? Did you need any stitches?” Erwin spoke softly as they waited at the elevator, watching Levi sip his tea as he drank his own coffee.

“No stitches. But I have to replace the bandages tomorrow and the day after, and make sure they’re kept dry.” Erwin watched Levi hold up the paper bag he was holding, letting out a hum.

“I see. I don’t mind helping you with that. I may not be a doctor, but I do have some basic first aid training.” Levi nodded faintly, following him into the elevator and watching him press the button to his floor.

As soon as they arrived at their floor, Erwin led him down the hall to the room of his apartment, unlocking it and letting Levi step inside first. The short male kicked his shoes off, putting them side by side by the door before looking around the apartment. It was fairly clean, much to Levi’s relief. He slowly walked into the living room, looking at it and the kitchen. Not only was it clean and tidy, but also had a number of fancy appliances that he couldn’t name. Levi was too busy gaping at the giant TV that hadn’t noticed Erwin had left the room until the tall man returned holding a pile of clothes in one hand.

“I assumed you would like to take a shower and get changed into some clean clothes. I can put your current clothes in the wash while you shower, you can borrow some of my clothes for now, although I’m sure they’ll be quite a bit bigger on you.” Erwin said with a chuckle, holding the clothes out to Levi, who hesitantly took them before following Erwin’s directions to the bathroom.

Levi closed the door behind him, setting the clean clothes on the counter and peeling off his own dirty clothes. Once he was naked, he opened the door and dropped his clothes on the floor outside the bathroom, closing it again. 

After getting into the shower, it took Levi a minute or so to figure out how to actually turn the shower on, sticking his toes into the stream of water and waiting for it to get hot before stepping in. He let out a soft sigh at the hot water running over him, completely forgetting about his instructions from the doctor to keep the bandage dry. Levi scrubbed his body vigorously until his skin was pink, washing his hair a few times with Erwin’s shampoo.

Once the shower was off, he stepped out of it and grabbed a towel as he felt a shiver run through him at the cool air outside the shower against his heated skin. He dried himself off and grabbed the clothes which consisted of a t shirt, clean underwear and workout shorts. Erwin was right, he was way too small for these clothes. The shorts wouldn’t even stay on him so he decided to just wear the shirt and the underwear.

Levi peeled the soaked bandage off his neck, dropping it in the trash with a grimace before heading out of the bathroom. Erwin was sitting on the couch, watching some documentary show that Levi had no interest in. When he noticed Levi was in the room he paused it, looking over at him.

“Hello, Levi. I must say those clothes are a bit too big for you.” Erwin grinned, ignoring the glare from Levi.

“Shut the fuck up. I need help replacing my bandage since it got soaked in the shower.” As soon as Levi mentioned that he needed help, the blond was up and grabbing the bag Levi had gotten from the hospital.

Erwin gently grabbed Levi’s wrist and led him back to the bathroom. Without saying a word, he put his hands on the smaller man’s waist and lifted him up onto the counter, too busy getting the medical supplies out of their bag to notice the threatening look Levi was giving him. Grabbing a bottle of rubbing alcohol, he soaked a tissue in it before carefully dabbing the cut with it. Each time the dark haired male winced he murmured a soft apology, being extremely gentle. Once the new bandage was on, the blond smoothed it out gently with his fingers, which lingered on Levi’s neck for a few seconds longer than necessary before he pulled away.

“Now that your cut is all cleaned up, I was thinking of ordering some chinese food to be delivered. Does that sound good to you?” Levi quickly nodded, telling Erwin to order whatever as he left the bathroom and went to grab his tea that he had left on the kitchen counter. He stood with his upper arms on the counter, paper cup held in his two hands as he slowly sipped the tea. The short male let out a shaky sigh as he let his mind wander, finishing his tea and setting the empty cup back down on the counter.

Levi heard Erwin ordering the food, moving out of the kitchen and heading over to the couch. With a sigh, he flopped down onto it and grabbed the blanket next to him so he could wrap it around himself. He listened to Erwin move around, hearing him put things in the washing machine and start it. It had been a while since he had been this clean and he was enjoying every minute of it.

The dark haired male pressed a part of the blanket to his face, inhaling deeply as he closed his eyes. Like everything in Erwin’s apartment, it smelt like Erwin. A combination of his cologne and his laundry detergent. It caused a tingle to race up his spine, opening his eyes only to see Erwin standing in the doorway, watching him.

Levi felt his face flush hot with embarrassment, looking off to the side in an attempt to make it look like he wasn’t just sniffing Erwin’s possessions like a creep. The tall man didn't seem disturbed by his weird behaviour, smiling down at the short man curled up on the couch which made Levi’s insides get all squirmy again. Levi's dark eyes watched the blond as he gestured down the hall.

“I’m going to take a quick shower, if the food arrives before I get out my wallet is on the shelf by the door, and make sure to tip the delivery person.” Levi nodded silently, watching him disappear down the hallway. Erwin had a really nice ass, but he tried his best to not think about that.

A few minute later, Levi could hear the faint rumble of the shower running and nestled back into the couch with the blanket wrapped around him, pushing away the temptation to snoop around the apartment. He was almost on the verge of falling asleep when a brisk knock on the door startled him. In a second he was on his feet, looking around nervously before realizing that was just the food.

Levi made his way to the door, grabbing Erwin’s wallet on the way before opening the door. He gave the delivery person the money, with some extra as a tip before wordlessly taking the food and closing the door.  Manners were one of the many things that Levi couldn’t care less about, they were pointless to him except when he was sweet talking a potential client into hiring him. He set the bag of food on the dining table, deciding to wait for Erwin to be out of the shower before taking any food. Levi stood by the table, hearing the faint sound of footsteps and quickly turning around to see who it was.

Erwin was standing in the doorway with nothing but a towel loosely wrapped around his hips, a shocked expression on his face much to Levi's confusion. Although Levi was too busy to think why Erwin was shocked, focusing on how _good_ Erwin looked without a shirt, especially with the water droplets running down his bare skin that was a little pink from the hot shower. The tension in the air between them was thick enough to cut through with a knife, making Levi shift from foot to foot awkwardly. After a few seconds of silence, the blond man decided to break the silence.

“Sorry Levi, I didn’t mean to startle you. I haven’t had another person over here for quite some time so I was more than a little shocked to see you standing there.” Erwin said with a soft chuckle, seemingly oblivious to how Levi was staring at his body. The dark haired man forced his gaze up to Erwin's face, biting his own lower lip.

“It’s alright. You may want to go put some clothes on before eating, at least leave something to the imagination.” Levi said with a chuckle, taking pride in the flush that crept up Erwin’s neck and how he fumbled with his words for a few seconds, but then decided stop talking and turn to head to his room to get dressed.

A few minutes later Erwin returned wearing sweatpants and a ~~tight~~  t shirt, serving them both up some of each dish he had ordered. They sat at the table, eating in comfortable silence. It had been so long since Levi had eaten food like this, savouring each bite. Erwin was watching him closely, happy to see Levi enjoying the food.

After dinner, they sat on the couch together watching some movie about blue aliens with big tails and ears. It was a weird one, but Erwin said it was a good movie so Levi didn't say anything about it. Around halfway through the movie, Levi had dozed off against Erwin’s shoulder. The blond watched him sleep for a few minutes, reaching up to gently brush some of the dark strands of long hair out of Levi’s sleeping face. It was the first time the blond had seen Levi looking so peaceful. Erwin carefully picked up the smaller man and carried him to the spare bedroom, laying him down in the bed before tucking him in under the blankets.

Even though Erwin had only known this man for less than a day, he knew one thing for sure about him.

He was going to do everything in his power to make sure this dark haired beauty was never put in harm's way ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy! Okay here is where things begin to get interesting.  
> Next chapter: Erwin learns more about Levi's past than he would have liked to
> 
> Comments, criticism, and questions are always appreciated!


	5. Affirmation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to aikocchi301 for their lovely comment!
> 
> I also noticed I received kudos from Strawberry_Hill and I almost screamed/cried when I found out. Thank you for the kudos, I love your work so much!

Two days had passed since Levi had first arrived at Erwin's apartment, and luckily there had been no embarrassing encounters, with the exception of Levi walking into the bathroom once while Erwin was showering to tell him that they were out of dish soap. 

Levi's first full day in his new home was spent cleaning the apartment top to bottom while Erwin watched with an amused-yet fond look on his face. The blond had kept a close eye on him, staring over the top of his laptop as Levi would bend down to dust the bottom shelf of the bookshelf or wipe the floor.

Erwin had always been a neat person, a habit he picked up from childhood, which was shown in the condition of his apartment. It was spotless to most people, except Levi, who insisted on cleaning the 'dung heap of an apartment' all by himself, giving the blond man a threatening glare every time he tried to dust a few things or tidy. 

Every now and then, there were moments where both of them would look up at the same time from their current tasks and they would hold eye contact for a few intense seconds before quickly looking away. Those moments made the blond's skin crawl and the spark of desire within him turn into a roaring inferno. Erwin knew that Levi still had some suspicions that his invitation to stay with him was based exploitation, not philanthropy, which was why Erwin had made sure to always keep his distance from the shorter male. He wanted to prove to Levi that he was doing this out of the kindness in his heart, that not every good deed came at a price. 

The second day, Erwin had taken Levi out clothes shopping, an activity that the blond later learned was one of Levi's most hated. The small man had practically glued himself to Erwin's side the entire time they spent inside the crowded store, ready to murder anyone else who dared to enter his personal space. By the end of it they both arrived home, exhausted and irritable, with bags of new clothing. At first, Levi had adamantly refused being bought clothes, insisting they wait until he got a job and could buy his own clothes with his own money, but after a day of pestering from Erwin, the dark haired man reluctantly agreed, with the promise of paying him back for it.

On the third day of Levi's stay, Erwin had to go back to work. Although he had plenty of vacation days earned he didn't want to use those, he needed a few hours away from Levi's intense personality. Each time those silver eyes stopped on him he could feel them cutting away at his defenses, leaving him exposed and vulnerable in a way he hadn't been in such a long time. Erwin only had so much self control, so he was glad at the opportunity of a bit of alone time. 

Levi was already awake when Erwin got up, despite it being the early morning. He had started to busy himself by cooking them both breakfast, an activity that he had recently begun exploring. The short male had found an old cookbook during the apartment's deep cleaning, and immediately started using it for each meal. Erwin could hear the faint sizzle of hot oil in a pan along with the scraping of a cooking utensil against the dish as he went to the bathroom to clean up. 

By the time he was showered and brushed his teeth, Levi had scrambled eggs and toast served out on the table for the two of them. Like most meals, they ate in silence, listening to to radio playing in the background.

Once Erwin was done, he broke the comfortable silence and spoke up. It was always satisfying to see how Levi would stop and look at him each time he spoke, Erwin felt it to be somewhat of an achievement to earn the attention of such a fickle creature that was Levi. "I'll be gone until about six in the evening, I thought I'd leave you some cash in case you would like to go out for lunch or tea." Levi shook his head, muttering into his tea cup. 

"Don't bother. I won't be going out at all." Although Levi was speaking casually, there was a slight edge to his voice that warned Erwin not to push the topic any further. He didn't push it, instead watching Levi get up and collect their dishes before taking them over to the sink. Erwin observed him curiously for a moment, a smile tugging at his lips as he noticed how Levi furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he washed the dishes. It was fairly endearing.

"You know..." Erwin started, feeling something stir in his chest at how Levi paused in the middle of scrubbing the one plate to look at the blond male still sitting at the table, one eyebrow raised in silent question. "Typically when a guest stays with a person, they are not required to do any clean up and should be relaxing or enjoying themselves." Levi's expression soured slightly, going back to washing the dishes.

"Well that's a bullshit rule, if the guest is making a giant mess, it would be an asshole move for them to not clean up. Didn't your mother ever teach you to clean up after yourself? Judging by the original state of your apartment I'm inclined to believe not." Levi's gaze momentarily flicked up to Erwin, going between watching the other man and looking at the dishes as he cleaned them.

Erwin chuckled softly, raising his cup of coffee to take a long sip of it. "Of course, my mother always taught me to behave well. Didn't yours?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the large clatter of Levi dropping the plate in the sink startled him enough for his gaze to jump up to Levi. He was gripping the edge of the counter so tight his knuckles were white, face hidden by his long dark hair hanging down over his face.

"My mother died twenty years ago." Levi said in a terribly small voice, his entire body still and stiff. If the room had been any louder, Erwin would have only known Levi had spoken by the small movement of his lips. The words were like a punch in the gut to the blond, who quickly stood and started to walk around the other side of the counter towards Levi.

"I'm terribly sorry, Levi. I had no idea-it was not my intention to bring up any painful memories or-" Erwin was cut off when Levi had sharply raised a hand, a clear motion for him to shut up. "Stop. Just forget about it. It's fine." Levi kept his face hidden from view, a slight tremour in his hands as he dried them off on the nearby hand towel.

Before Levi could get away, Erwin stepped closer to wrap his arms around the smaller male and pulled him against his own body. Ignoring the other's struggling, Erwin kept a strong grip on him, hands rubbing smooth circles over his back. "It's not fine, I can tell it upset you. Showing emotion isn't weakness, Levi. It must have been very hard for you, and it's alright if you haven't gotten over things yet. I'll always be here for any kind of support that you need."

The shorter male grumbled under his breath, slowly relaxing into him. Levi hadn't realized before just how warm Erwin was, it was comforting, much more than he cared to admit. Before he got too content in Erwin's arms, the shorter male wiggled free and stood back. Unsure of what to do, he turned back to the sink and resumed washing the dishes. 

"Shouldn't you be going to work?" Levi spoke softly, looking over at Erwin, who had then glanced at the clock and cursed, realizing he was running late and scrambled to get the rest of his things together. Giving one last goodbye to Levi, he left the apartment with his bag in one hand. He was still scolding himself as he got into his car and began to drive to work. How could he be so insensitive? Erwin sighed heavily and made his way to work, trying to keep his focus on the road and not on how he was going to make it up to Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I spent a lot of time fiddling around with this to get it to a point where I was semi happy with it so yeah sorry for the wait.  
> Tune in next time for Erwin's attempt to comfort Levi
> 
> As always comments, predictions, criticisms and questions are always welcome!


	6. Recollection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowser sorry for the delay, I hit a little bit of a writer's block with this story and it took me a while to push through it. I've also started writing two other fics as well so I've been juggling between those.  
> Thank you to the following commenters: Nichu and Starkastically_Amazing  
> Thank you all for your kudos and for reading this far!  
> Warning: this chapter gets a little nsfw, enjoy!

As Erwin made his way down the hallway to the door of his apartment, he felt anxiety claw at his chest as he slowly slid the key into the lock and twisted it. It had been a slow day at work, and the curiosity had become too much to ignore. Opening the door, he replayed the events of that day in his mind. 

\----

Erwin was once again working at his desk, going through the last of his reports. He had finished all the assigned paperwork earlier than expected, and had been given a longer break as a reward. There had been an unusual lull in crime the past month, so he found himself on patrol less and sitting at a desk more. While he knew he should be happy about crime going down, he had grown to miss being out on patrol, directly helping those in need.

As he sat at his desk, he thought about Levi. He could tell that the man had a horrible past, and he wanted so badly to help him out. But how could he help Levi when he didn't know what it was he was helping him cope with? Bringing it up in conversation would most likely stir up unpleasant memories for Levi, and there was still the possibility that Levi would refuse to tell him anything. Erwin couldn't see Levi as the type of person to open up about his emotions or past.

Maybe there was a way to learn about his past without asking him.

He turned his computer back on, opening up the police records and typing in Levi's first name. He scrolled through the list until he came across a picture of a familiar scraggly teenager with feral eyes and overgrown black hair. Moving the mouse, he watched the little cursor move on the screen until it was hovering over Levi's file. Guilt squeezed at his chest, he knew this was none of his business, Levi wouldn't want him to know about his life. But...it was too tempting not to look. Clicking on the file, he watched the list of information appear on the screen.

_Name: Ackerman, Levi._

_Date of Birth: December 25, between 1992-1995._

_Family: Kuchel Ackerman - Mother (deceased), Kenny Ackerman - Uncle (location unknown)._

_Number of Arrests: Eight counts of petty theft_

_Cases: Involved in two trials as witness on prosecution involving the charges of child abuse, sexual exploitation of a minor, battery and assault._

_Background information: Found as a child after recovering body of mother, send to foster care, numerous escape attempts, suspected to be involved in prostitution ring starting at age fourteen--_

Erwin quickly exited the file, jerking away from the computer as if it had burned him. Letting out a shaky breath, he raked a hand through his hair. He had no idea it was that bad. Although he had never directly asked Levi about his work, he had assumed that it was something connected to prostitution. But...he didn't know it had started so young, no child should ever have to endure that.

The blond stood up, going to the bathroom and splashing his face with cold water. No wonder Levi was so wary of him when they first met, he had been accustomed to others using him for their own gain. 

After doing so, he slowly made his way to the evidence room. He couldn't find anything with Levi's name, but he found a small file with ' _Kuchel Ackerman_ ' on it. He felt guilty for rooting around into Levi's past, maybe he could find something to make it worthwhile for Levi. After inspecting the contents of the file, he decided that it wouldn't be an issue for him to take them. After all, they had no connection to any cases, as her death was clearly not foul play but from illness.

Erwin fussed over his actions for the rest of the day, feeling guilty for what he did. Hopefully Levi wouldn't be too upset, despite how tough he acted, the blond could tell that Levi was still suffering emotionally from his traumatic experiences, especially the loss of his mother. His hope was that maybe getting her possessions back would help Levi find some closure, and distract Levi enough to prevent the other from being angry with him. 

\----

On his way home, he stopped by one of the more highly rated tea shops in that part of the city and bought two tins of tea for Levi: jasmine green tea and earl grey. They were for making it up to Levi after his stupid comment that resulted in bringing up so many unpleasant memories for the dark haired male. Erwin was still mad at himself for that. After taking off his shoes, he headed to the kitchen with the two tins of tea behind his back, the file tucked away in his messenger bag. 

Levi was in the kitchen wearing an apron with the usual cloth tied around his head to hold back his hair as he spread potatoes, olive oil, and spices in a glass pan. The sight was enough to make Erwin smile, despite his intimidating and grouchy exterior, Levi was really cute in moments like this.

It took the dark haired man a minute to notice Erwin, stopping what he was doing to look at him. "How was work? Didn't run into any shitty traffic on the way back did you?" The hint of a smile graced Levi's features as he watched him, however that quickly turned to a frown when he noticed how Erwin was holding his hands behind his back. "What the hell are you doing with your arms? I told you, stop buying me shit I don't need." 

The taller man chuckled softly, walking over to Levi and holding up the two tins in his hands to show the other. "I couldn't help it, the shop was on the way home and I had to pick something up. Besides, you know that my tea supply is somewhat...sparse." Erwin said with a sheepish smile, worried that he made a mistake in buying the tea for him. However, he knew he made the right choice when he saw the spark of interest in Levi's eyes as he picked up the pan of potatoes and slid it into the oven, wiping his hands on the nearby dishtowel before carefully taking the tins. He inspected the ingredients, clearly satisfied with the teas by the way his expression softened as he nodded. 

"Okay...but no more buying me stuff after this or else I'll never be able to pay you back for everything." The dark haired male went over to the tea cupboard, pushing himself up on his tip toes as he set the tins in their designated spot. Erwin couldn't stop himself from admiring the strip of bare skin on his back that was exposed from Levi's shirt riding up as he reached to put the tea away. He'd been home for less than ten minutes and already he was ogling every inch of the other's body, how embarrassing. This wasn't how an adult was supposed to act. 

"I've already told you, don't pay me back. All of these gifts are tokens of my appreciation, pay me back by accepting and enjoying them." Erwin said with a grin, forcing his gaze to stay above Levi's shoulders as the other turned around to look at him again. Hopefully the shorter male couldn't tell that he had just been drooling over a little bit of exposed skin. When Levi's eyes swept over his body, Erwin felt his face get hot. Was Levi actually checking him out? Before he had a chance to say anything Levi scowled and his nose wrinkled, something he did when he saw something gross.

"Go get changed out of your sweaty work clothes. Dinner will be ready in about half an hour, so go take a shower too." Levi said as he turned away from him, pulling the fresh fillets of sockeye salmon out of the fridge and beginning to prep them to be roasted. Feeling a little disappointed, Erwin nodded and turned away to head to the bathroom. A part of him had been hoping Levi had been expressing interest in Erwin, but he knew that was just wishful thinking on his part.

Since he knew dinner wouldn't be ready for a while, he took longer in the shower than he usually would have. In between each stage of cleaning himself he would have a several minute long thinking session. Most of his thoughts were around Levi, and the longer he spend in the shower, the more inappropriate they would become. Erwin thought about how Levi's ass looked every time he bent down, and how much he longed to dig his fingers into the soft flesh until bruises bloomed underneath his fingertips, staining pale skin beautiful shades of purple.

Just the image in his mind was enough to make his legs weak, slumping back against the tile wall with a feeble groan. The searing heat in his stomach had slowly spread to his groin, hand itching to wrap around his stiff cock for relief. Before he did, he held his breath, trying to hear Levi to make sure he was still occupied with cooking in the kitchen. Ears straining, he found he couldn't hear anything over the sound of the shower and his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Although he was at risk of being heard by Levi, he decided to take the risk as wrapped one hand around the base of his cock. It was actually a bit of a turn on to think about the possibility of being heard by Levi, it was enough to make his veins thrum with adrenaline. Desire burned within him in a way he had never experienced before, it was a little nerve wracking. Erwin hadn't been in a serious relationship for years, let alone had any kind of sex life, except for the occasional hook ups that were most of the time set up by his friends. 

The blond set a slow and steady pace as he carefully worked his hand up and down the length of his cock, the water from the shower and the remnants of soap made his hand slippery in a way that had the muscles in his thighs quivering in a matter of minutes. Regardless of his efforts, Erwin was unable to keep himself from imagining Levi with him. He was well aware of how wrong it was to think of Levi at a time like this, but he couldn't help it. The dark haired man was so enticing, was it possible for a person to be angelic and sinful at the same time? Closing his eyes, he let his vision be filled with the image of Levi standing in front of him, pale cheeks tinted red and his silver eyes dark with lust. He imaged Levi's nimble hands moving down his own body until they wrapped around his cock and squeezed and tugged all the right spots with the perfect level of force, moving down onto his kneels and leaning in to- _fuck._

The blond's free hand shot up and clamped roughly over his mouth, just in time to muffle a long moan as he pressed his back flat against the cold wall of the shower. Everything else was much too hot, it was almost suffocating as he continued to move his hand, the motion quickly becoming frantic as he felt the burning coil wind tighter and tighter in his stomach. He ended up having to bite his fingers to keep quiet, panting harshly out his nose. It didn't take for the tension in him to rise to a peak as he hit his orgasm like a brick wall, head thumbing back against the wall as he let out a strangled moan. 

After a few seconds, he slowly felt himself coming back to a level of adequate coherence for him to realize that Levi was knocking on the bathroom door, voice muffled by the closed door. "Hey, dinner is going to be ready in less than five minutes, hurry up in there."

Had it really been half an hour already? Swallowing a few times to try and subtly clear his throat, he quickly replied with an 'alright, just finishing up'. He washed his hand clean, letting out a shaky sigh. The tall man still felt a little dizzy, so he took a minute to catch his breath and fully recover. It had been a while since he had done anything sexual, even with himself. Licking his lips to wet them, he tasted salt from his sweat and decided to quickly wash his body once again. By the time he stepped out of the shower, his skin was pink from the hot water. 

Now that he had fully come down from the euphoric high, he felt the guilt and shame begin to settle in. He barely knew Levi, he needed to keep himself in control. The last thing he wanted was to scare Levi off, surely this feeling would dissipate in a week or so. Erwin splashed some cold water from the sink onto his face, hoping the temperature shock would help him snap out of whatever he was caught in. 

Once he was dried off and changed, he made his way to the dining area. Levi had served out the salmon and potatoes for both of them, with a glass of white wine for each of them. It was oddly romantic. The radio even had some soft jazz playing. Luckily Erwin managed to get through the meal without any issues, making polite conversation every now and then. 

As Levi took the dishes into the kitchen to wash them, the taller man retrieved the small box containing contents from the file. He waited until Levi was done cleaning, sitting at the table.

"Levi, can you come here please?" He called out to him, hearing the other begin to move on from the dishes to cleaning the kitchen despite the fact that Levi most likely cleaned it all up that morning. The shorter male's obsessive cleaning was endearing, but he needed to talk to him. 

However the second he called for Levi, the dark haired man dried his hands and headed over to the table. Sitting down when Erwin motioned him to, he frowned when he saw the little box. "Oh for fuck's sake Erwin. I said no more bloody gifts." Before he could continue, the blond quickly grabbed his hand to get his attention. Just the touch sent shivers up Erwin's arm and down his back, quickly letting go of his hand. He could still feel the burning imprint of Levi's hand on his skin. Clearing his throat, he set the box in Levi's hands. 

"It's not something I bought, I promise. I had some spare time and I checked out your file at work." Erwin immediately saw the other's expression sour, putting his hands up to silently ask for patience. "I know it was wrong, I had no right to delve into that kind of information. But I was worried about you, and I wanted to try and help you out by learning more about you. In hindsight, I should have come directly to you. I really am sorry if my actions have caused you any harm or offense.

But one thing I also found was a file in the evidence room on your mother, Kuchel Ackerman. It consisted of everything she had on her when the police had collected her body. These items should have been given to you when you turned eighteen, but for some reason they were not. My guess is that the files were forgotten by whoever had left them there. While most of the items were old receipts and coupons, there were a few things that I knew should be returned to you." Surprisingly, Levi didn't seem angry with him. If there was one thing the man was good at was looking angry, yet his features were oddly soft, eyes fixed on the little box in his hands. Erwin didn't fail to notice the faint tremble in his hand and one of them moved to lift the lid off the box. 

Inside was a small stack on faded photos, resting underneath a few pieces of jewelry. One was a simple ring, a thin silver band. But Levi had immediately gone for the necklace. It was a small circular locket made of silver. The front was engraved with  _12.25.'94,_ Levi's birthday, while the back had been engraved with his name along with letters that Erwin had guessed were Hebrew beneath his name. The dark haired male trailed his fingers over the lettering, face tense in an obvious attempt to restrain any kind of emotional response.

Popping open the locket, Erwin heard the other's breath catch when he saw that inside had two pictures on each panel. One of his mother looking at the camera with a triumphant, but tired, grin on her face and in her arms was a small bundle of blankets, the only thing visible was a pudgy face that sleeping peacefully. The other picture was of Levi when he was a toddler, eyes looking past the camera, wide with wonder and awe. For the longest amount of time, Levi stared at the two pictures with an expression of what Erwin could only describe as anguish, like all the years of repressed grief had finally caught up with him. The blond couldn't tell if Levi was about to break apart or explode, and he was beginning to regret giving the box to him. 

Just when he was about to break the silence and ask Levi if he was okay, the smaller male squeezed his eyes shut and let out a broken sob. The sound cut right through Erwin like a knife, making his chest feel tight as if held in a grip made of ice. Sliding out of the chair, he knelt on the floor beside Levi and pulled him into a tight hug. If this were any other situation, he would be amused at how he was close to the same height of Levi sitting when he was on his knees. But he was focusing on being there for the other, as long as Levi didn't push him away. Much to his surprise, Levi instead leaned into it, one hand desperately grabbing a fistful of the blond's shirt, the other clutching the box.

They stayed like that for a while, holding onto each other tight as Levi worked through the sorrows of his past, his face pressed into the fabric of Erwin's shirt with his head tucked under the other's chin. They were mostly silent, the one exception being the occasional sob from the dark haired male. Pressing his cheek to the top of the other's head, Erwin let out a deep sigh as he lifted one hand to gently rub at the back Levi's neck in an attempt to comfort him. He ignored the ache in his knees and the tears soaking through his shirt, if this was what Levi needed, then Erwin would hold him like this until the end of time, and then forever after that. 

As long as they had each other, Erwin felt like they had all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: As the weeks go by, Levi and Erwin begin to grow closer than ever, and for the first time since losing his mother, Levi has found someone who supports him and keeps him from falling apart on the most important day of the year to him.
> 
> Comments, criticism, questions and more are always welcome!


	7. Results

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block is great isn't it?  
> Thanks to all the wonderful people who've left their lovely comments and kudos! Special thanks to my pal regular bean (you know who you are) for their help with criticism and encouragement.

That night, after Erwin had held him in his arms for a good ten minutes, Levi slipped away and quietly excused himself to his bedroom for the rest of the evening. The blond didn't see him until the next day, when the short male slunk out of his room in the late morning. The behaviour was quite unusual, as Levi was usually the first one awake in the morning. Sitting on the living room couch, Erwin watched him as he made himself a cup of tea and silently drank it in the kitchen. 

It pained him to see Levi like that, he was clearly still hurting from the night before. It was obvious to Erwin that the shorter male had never really grieved for the death of his mother, or recovered from the other traumas of his life. Survival was most likely a bigger priority for Levi than his emotional state.

Deciding he needed to do something, the blond pushed himself up off the couch and made his way over to the kitchen. Now that he was closer to Levi he could see the glint of metal from the locket around the dark haired male's neck. 

"How are you feeling this morning, Levi?" Erwin spoke softly, leaning on the counter beside him. He carefully watched the other's face, noting the hesitation as they made eye contact. 

"I'm fine," Levi said with a shrug, voice still hoarse from sleep. He turned his attention back to his teacup, taking a long sip from it as an obvious excuse to avoid eye contact. Erwin frowned slightly, trying his best not to be discouraged at the short response. 

"I'm glad to hear that. I decided to take a sick day off work today so that I could spend more time with you. Is there anything you'd like to do today, maybe go out for lunch or something?" The blond spoke with smile, eyes hopeful. Unfortunately, his attempted charm had no effect of Levi, who silently shook his head. 

"No thanks. I don't think I'm up for going out today, maybe later." The dark haired male spoke softly, finishing his cup of tea and moving to wash the cup. Once he was finished and the cup was placed in the drying rack, he hesitantly turned to Erwin. "Could you cut my hair today? I remember seeing in the bathroom that you owned a pair of clippers..."

The taller male blinked, taken aback by Levi's request. He hadn't expected that. Clearing his throat slightly, he nodded with another smile.

"Of course, Levi. When would you like me to do that for you? I could do that now if you would like?" Erwin offered with the same smile, eyes moving to Levi's hair, which was currently up in a pony tail. Although he did like Levi's hair the way it was, he could understand why the dark haired male would want it cut, longer hair was more difficult to manage. Levi would look handsome either way.

Levi nodded as he grabbed a dishtowel and dried off the cup. "Alright. Let's do it here then. Tile floor is much easier to sweep things up on." He spoke as he put the teacup back in its spot on the cupboard, fidgeting with the dishtowel a moment longer before hanging it over the stove door handle. Turning back to Erwin, Levi planted his hands on his hips. The pose caused the blond's heart to flutter in his chest, it was utterly endearing. Realizing he was not only staring, but Levi was aware of it made warmth creep across his face, clearing his throat slightly as he motioned to the bathroom.

"I'll go grab the clippers and some scissors. Can you bring a chair from the table into the kitchen? It needs to be close to the wall socket." Erwin didn't wait for the other to respond, turning and making his way to the bathroom. 

By the time he returned with the clippers and scissors, Levi had the chair in the kitchen and was sitting in it. Upon approaching the chair, Erwin noticed that the other had also brought the garbage bin over, nodding to himself at the clever idea. The shorter male waited patiently as Erwin plugged in the clippers and attached the guard to it, having already taken the tie out of his hair, which left it hanging like a black curtain of silk over his face and back of his neck.

"How would you like me to cut it?" Erwin asked in a soft voice, standing behind Levi. Since he was already standing close to the other he kept his voice quiet, not wanting to spook him by being unnecessarily loud.

In response to his question, Levi shrugged slightly. "It doesn't matter, do what you think is best," he murmured softly, staring straight ahead. Erwin couldn't help but feel touched at how much trust Levi put in him, silently promising himself to do a good job. 

One hand lifted to run his fingers through the dark hair, amazed at how soft it was.  _Clearly he must be making good use of the hair products in the shower._ The thought drew a chuckle from the tall man, running his fingers through his hair a few more times before carefully pulling it back into a pony tail.

Holding the hair in one hand, his other picked up the scissors and cut the pony tail off, making sure that the hairs at the top still reached Levi's nape. After tossing the hair in the garbage bin, he began to get to work. He parted the hair, trimmed it, and finally went over it with the clippers, adding an undercut that stopped a bit above the tops of his ears that the rest of Levi's hair draped over. 

Erwin looked him over a few times, deciding he was satisfied with his work. He went to brushing the little hairs off his neck and shoulders, primarily for the other's comfort. The blond leaned in to blow some loose little hairs off the shorter male's ear, unaware of the shiver that ran through the Levi's body in response. Letting out a hum, he straightened up and went to knocking the hairs out of the clippers into the garbage bin. 

"There we go. I hope you're as pleased with it as I am, if not more. You should probably go shower, those little hairs can be such a nuisance." Erwin said with a smile, watching the other nod and head to the bathroom. Was it just him, or did Levi seem to be in a rush to get away? He shook the thought from his mind, focusing on cleaning up the mess. 

Luckily Levi's dark hair stood out on the pale grey tile of the kitchen floor, so it didn't take long for him to sweep everything up. Putting the chair away, he unplugged the clippers and set them with the scissors on the counter. He would put them away once Levi had gotten out of the shower. 

Putting the chair away, Erwin noticed that Levi had been a while in the shower. Usually he was very quick. He approached the bathroom, lifting his hand to knock on the door but stopping when he heard a thump from the other side of the door followed by a noise that sounded like a groan. The noise caused a tingle to travel down his spine as he stepped back from the door. Could Levi really be doing...that? His mind wandered back to his shower the day before, quickly pushing those thoughts away before they got out of hand.  _He must have just dropped the shampoo bottle or something._ Erwin told himself, going back to sit on the couch and breath deeply for a few minutes to calm his body down. 

After a few moments, Levi arrived wearing a new change of clothes, rubbing his newly cut hair with a small towel. Turning to face him, Erwin noticed the scowl on the other's face and immediately assumed that Levi didn't like the way he cut his hair. Opening his mouth to talk, he was cut off by Levi.

"You could have warned me beforehand about all those tiny little hairs. They were fucking everywhere," the dark haired male grumbled as he sat down on the couch beside him, arms crossed over his chest. The blond stared in disbelief for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh.

"I apologize. I should have warned you." Erwin said with a smile, one hand reaching to brush a stray hair from Levi's face and barely noticing how his fingers lingered for a few seconds. "Do you like it?" He asked softly, smile becoming uncertain as he waited for his answer. 

Staring at him for a few moments, Levi nodded as one hand moved up to rub the stubbly hairs of his new undercut. "I like it. It's a lot easier to manage, and my neck finally gets some fucking air." They both chuckled at that, reaching a comfortable lull in their conversation. However that was soon interrupted with the sharp ringtone of Erwin's phone.

With a weary sigh, he fished his phone out of his pocket. The unfamiliar number caused Erwin to frown, swiping the answer button and bringing it up to his ear. "Hello?"

His greeting was answered by a man's voice, who introduced himself as someone from the General Hospital. Much to his surprise, the voice on the phone asked to speak with Levi in regards of his test results. When had Levi used his number as a contact for the hospital? The taller man wordlessly handed the phone off to the other, watching the other speak on the phone. He wasn't exactly sure what the tests were for, but he immediately pushed his curious thoughts away. It was really none of his business. If Levi wished to share the results of the tests or any other information, that was for him to decide. 

Trying his best not to hear any of the conversation, he turned his attention to the apartment around him in hopes of sufficiently distracting himself. It was noticeably cleaner, now that Levi was living with him. Sometimes Erwin wished that Levi would actually take some time to relax instead of clean all the time, but least Levi seemed to enjoy it. He hoped that Levi was genuinely happy living here. Surely it was an improvement to whatever life he was living before they met. Erwin barely knew the man, yet he already knew that he couldn't sent Levi to live back on the streets when the weather warmed up. He'd have to figure out something, help him get a well paying job and give him financial support. Or of course, he could always ask Levi to move in with--

His thoughts were interrupted when a phone dropped in his lap, more specifically his phone which was tossed in his lap by Levi. He didn't even have time to react as the man beside him immediately began to talk. 

"I need to go to the hospital to pick up the results of my tests. They can't give 'em over the phone because of some privacy bullshit." The dark haired male sounded a tad annoyed, probably at having to go all the way out to the hospital. Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Erwin was quick to offer his help.

"We can take my car, if you'd like. It would certainly be the quickest way." He stood up, rubbing a hand through his hair with a smile. Some fresh air would be good for the both of them anyways.

The tall man watched Levi nod in agreement before he headed to his room to get changed into some appropriate outdoor clothes, glancing out the corner of his eye to see Levi getting up to presumably do the same. A few minutes later, Erwin exited his bedroom wearing light coloured jeans and a pale blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up just below his elbows. Sure, the shirt was a little more snug than necessary, but it was still one of his favourite shirts.

Levi was already dressed and waiting by the door in his  ~~tight~~ black jeans paired with a black long sleeve shirt. Erwin had to purposely avoid looking at Levi so he wouldn't be caught staring. Honestly he's a grown man, he should be able to see a man in well fitted pants without getting excited like a teenager. Making sure to grab his coat, keys and wallet, he left the apartment with Levi in tow.

The drive to the hospital was quiet. but not uncomfortably so. Levi seemed to still be more withdrawn than usual, and spent most of the ride staring out the window with a distant look in his dark eyes. Erwin decided to let him have some time alone with his thoughts, focusing on driving for the most part. Each time he stopped at a red light, he looked over at Levi to see if the far off look on his face had changed, and it never did.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, the look had finally faded and was replaced by the annoyed stare that Levi typically held. However, Erwin could see the cracks in his mask, the more noticeable strain to keep his emotions hidden. Levi was nervous.

Levi was out of the car the second they pulled into a parking spot, even before Erwin had a chance to turn off the car. Rushing to undo his seat belt, he hurried out of the car and locked it. The taller man did a light jog to catch up, walking into the building with the other. The second they stepped foot inside their noses were assaulted with the sharp smell of disinfectants that almost made Erwin's eyes water. Looking over at the man beside him, he could see the stiff tension in Levi's shoulders. The crowded lobby made Levi begin to gravitate closer to Erwin, like a paperclip to a magnet. Having been the third time taking the short male out in public, Erwin had grown fairly familiar to this behaviour. Levi was always anxious near people and would always hover near any familiar thing which, in this situation, was Erwin. 

Levi made his way to the front desk, asking the secretary about the test results. Once he was able to confirm who he was with a rather outdated piece of ID, he waited beside Erwin. By the way he was tapping his fingertips on the desk and shifting the majority of his weight between his feet, it was obvious how nervous Levi was. 

While he knew it was really none of his business, Erwin still wanted to make sure the other was okay. Levi's well-being was very important to him, probably more so than his own. Looking up from the desk, the blond cleared his throat and without thinking about it, rested a hand on top of his shoulder. When they first met, every small touch was responded to with a sharp flinch from Levi. But now, he seemed completely relaxed under his hand. It both surprised and pleased Erwin to see how quickly he was able to gain the smaller man's trust. 

"If I may ask, what exactly are these test results for? I know it really is not my business whatsoever, but it seems to be causing you a noticeable amount of distress. Is there anything I could do to help?" Erwin's voice stayed soft and uncertain, hand lingering on his shoulder for a few more seconds before he felt he had to take it back. He didn't want to make Levi uncomfortable, especially not my invading his personal space. Sometimes he felt like he was dealing with a wild animal rather than a person, where one wrong move would result in taking ten steps back in their trust. 

Levi's face twisted into a grimace, staring down at the speckled surface of the desk. "Basically to see if I've got dick rot and all those other shitty nightmares. They seem to think STIs are around every corner and I guess better safe than sorry." He shrugged, glancing up at Erwin and quickly adding. "I always took precautions with any clients I worked for, just so you know. Luckily it's pretty easy to see when someone has something, so any sicko that showed up with a moldy dick got kicked to the curb pretty quickly. It should be okay." The dark haired male murmured softly the last part softly, obviously directing it more for himself than Erwin. He quietly rapped his knuckles against the wooden part of the desk, the small action making Erwin smile as his gaze flickered back up to Levi's face. At least Levi seemed to be responsible, it wasn't surprising that a clean freak like him would careful about any risk of infection. 

Soon after, the man returned with an envelope that had Levi's name printed across the front. As soon as the correct papers were signed, he took the envelope and they left. Levi was clearly eager to get out of the crowded area, as soon as they were back in the car he breathed out a heavy sigh, some of the tension leaving his body. Shutting the door behind him, Erwin settled into the driver's seat, but he didn't start the car just yet. He looked over at Levi, noticing how tight his grip on the envelope was. Reaching over, he rested a hand on his shoulder, doing his best to give him a comforting smile. 

"Levi. No matter what that piece of paper says, I will always be here to support you. It's going to be okay." He murmured softly, watching the faint smile form on the other's face in response to his attempt to reassure him. Just the sight of Levi's rare smile made his stomach fill with butterflies.

After what felt like minutes of staring at the envelope, the smaller male finally opened it and pulled the papers out. The car was silent as Levi's eyes scoured over the words and numbers on the page. Just when Erwin was about to ask if he was alright, Levi slumped back into the passenger seat and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"I trust that means good news?" He asked with a small smile, feeling relief sweep through him as the other nodded an answer. After a few minutes of silence, Erwin turned on the car. The good news had clearly lifted Levi's spirits, and he felt like celebrating that. A dull ache of hunger in his stomach reminded him he had skipped breakfast that morning. Glancing at the clock on the car radio display reading just past one o'clock gave him an idea.

"How about we go out for lunch? My treat. I know a nice little sushi place that has a wide selection of tea as well. And not too far from the apartment either, it's usually not very busy either." Erwin proposed with a smile, looking over his shoulder as he pulled the car out of the parking spot. Once he was out of the spot, he looked over at Levi with a hopeful expression, watching Levi sigh in defeat and rub a hand over his face. 

"Alright. Fine. We're out anyways so we might as well get something to eat." The man in the passenger seat grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he turned his head to look out the window. At each red light, Erwin found himself staring at Levi. He took in the sight of the other's bare neck, wanting so badly to sink his teeth into the junction of his neck and shoulder, wanting to map the curve of his neck with his lips. Any bruise or bite mark would stand out so well against his skin, like a blooming violet in a field of freshly fallen snow. Tightening his grip on the wheel until his knuckles went white, the blond forced himself to tear his gaze away from Levi and put his focus back to the road. He couldn't keep on getting distracted like this while driving, the last thing he wanted was to get into a car accident.

Thankfully, they arrived at the restaurant without any issues. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Erwin turned off the engine as soon as he pulled into the parking spot. Unlike when they were at the hospital, Levi took much longer to get out of the car, taking his time as he undid his seat belt and climbed out. Erwin patiently waited for him by the door, opening it for the shorter male and letting him pass through first before following behind him. 

Much to his surprise, the restaurant was quite busy with almost every table full. Glancing over at the man by his side, he could see the new tension in the other's posture, watching Levi slowly shift to be closer to Erwin, as he predicted.

Luckily they were able to get a table in the quieter area in the back by the window. But that didn't seem to help the shorter male relax. The waiter approached their table, giving them a wide smile as she brought them both a cup of water and tea. As soon as the tea was set down, Levi perked up and wrapped his hands around the warm cup. He seemed to tolerate the crowded area more now that he had a cup of tea in his hands.

Biting back a smile, the blond picked up his menu and flipped it open, eyes skimming over the different dishes. His concentration was broken by a sudden unfamiliar voice. The waiter had returned, standing by their table with a wide grin on her face.

"You two are a really cute couple. Is this your first date?"

Erwin froze, speechless for a few seconds as he stared at his menu in shock. Looking up at the man across from him, he saw Levi had a similar stunned look on his face. This had the potential for being an incredibly awkward situation, and not just for the two of them. Without giving it much thought, he turned to give her a kind smile, reaching across the table to skim his fingertips over the back of the smaller man's free hand before lacing their fingers together.

"Actually, it's more like our twentieth, isn't that right Levi?" He looked over at Levi, giving his hand a light squeeze as his eyes silently pleaded for the other to go along with it. Levi's dark eyes stayed on him for a moment longer, expression unreadable, before his gaze moved up to the woman standing at the table.

"Something like that. It's been so many I sorta lost count if I'm being honest." The dark haired male spoke with the hint of a smile, eyes momentarily flickering over to Erwin. He could see the faint glint of amusement against his dark grey eyes, loosening his grip on Levi's slender hand, but not pulling back. Erwin was still reeling at how quick Levi was to go along with it, and the tingles sparking up his arm from Levi's hand in his own weren't helping. The rest of the waiter's words sounded like static on his ears, his mind too busy moving a mile a minute to focus on what she was saying.

After a minute more of conversation, the waiter finally turned and left to serve some other tables, leaving Erwin sighing in relief. He looked back at Levi with a sheepish smile, looking down at his menu to avoid making eye contact with the other.

"I hope that was alright. I wanted to avoid making the situation terribly awkward for her, and that was what first came to mind. I'm sorry if I overstepped any boundaries." Erwin murmured softly, starting to withdraw his hand from Levi's only to be stopped by the other's cool fingers tightening their grip on his own hand. Raising an eyebrow, he lifted his head to give the dark haired male a questioning look, only to see the other watching him like a hawk. After a few minutes Levi spoke up with a distant smile, eyes on Erwin but not making eye contact.

"We should probably keep pretending right? Just to keep anyone from suspecting anything. It's not that bad..." His dark eyes began wandering as he trailed off, and Erwin swore that he saw a faint pink hue settle over Levi's cheekbones, though it disappeared so quickly he could have imagined it. Nodding silently, he picked up his teacup with his free hand and took a slow sip of the hot drink, enjoying the way the warmth traveled down his throat. They both turned their attention back to their respective menus, although Erwin kept sneaking glances at their clasped hands, and he could tell Levi was doing the same. Leaning back in his chair, Erwin let out a soft sigh as he enjoyed the warmth in his chest and the slender fingers between his own.

Levi was right, pretending wasn't all that bad.

Actually, it felt pretty good. More than good.

More than anything, it felt right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the next (and last chapter) coming soon (hopefully).  
> Next time: the week's go by quickly and before Levi knows it, it's suddenly his birthday and he is faced with a dilemma.


End file.
